In article , sockiescat
wrote:

sherwindu Warren,

We have Home Depot, etc., here in the North Suburbs of Chicago, but
Ihave never

seen 'Steer Manure', except for one nursery who carried the Tex-Mexproduct. I
don't know what you have in Oregon, but this stuff came from Texaswhere the
steers were allowed to roam on free range. It had an analysis of5-5-5, I
believe.
Some of what I see here is only 1-1-1. There is supposed to be anothercompany
call Botex (not sure of spelling), but that also is nowheres to befound around
here.

Sherwin

I really like sterile steer manure as a mulch because it looks like rich
black soil but it does suppress weeds quite nicely. Although the nitrogen
& other nutrient levels are very low any sterilized fully composted
manure, when used as a topcoating & kept at least a little moist, it
excites microbial activity in the soil which is the real source of the
nutrients plants actually use, & that's healthier than artificially
structured fertilizers some of which interfer with rather than enhance
microorganism activity.

-paghat the ratgirl

thanks everyone for your responses i am going to add mulch to thesebeds
like i said i have never done these two main flowerbeds before.why i dont
know i have done a few other areas using cedar mulch where ihave mostly
flowers but not these two beds i was always afraid to lol. iguess the main
reason i hesitated last fall was because some sites onthe net said that
cedar and some other mulches affect flowering shrubsthats my main concern
we used to have upright junipers and cedars. whenwe took those out we put
in wisteria vines, silver lace vine, weigelia,burning bush, spirea,
harlequin euonymous, potentilla and a few otherflowering shrubs. i guess i
worry to much.
thanks again for all your help i know with the insight u have all
beenkind enough to give me i will make the right decisions.
thanks again,sockiescat.-- sockiescat
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